South Indian Style Chicken- Hyderabadi Chicken
This recipe is inspired from my favorite Indian cookbook- Prasad. I have been cooking from this book for over ten years. When I first bought it and looked through i, I was quite intimidated. The recipes are very complicated the instructions are not very clear.
Over the years I have learned to simplify the recipes and still capture the essence.
This dish is extremely flavorful and delicious. Chicken thighs are marinated in ginger, garlic and salt for a few hours. They are then sauteed with onions, ginger and garlic with lots of curry leaves. Curry leaves have a very distinctive flavor and if you are not able to find them- just eliminate out of the recipe. There is really no substitution.
The chicken was a big hit. I cooked it for a dinner party. Everyone loved it.
- 1 pound chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon tumeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Add the chicken pieces to a zip lock bag and add the ginger, garlic, salt, turmeric and cayenne pepper. Mix well and marinate for an hour. Keep aside.
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 10 to 12 curry leaves
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ½ teaspoon clove powder
- ½ teaspoon tamarind concentrate
- ½ cup chicken broth
- Salt
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
In a wide saucepan, heat the olive oil and sauté the chicken pieces on a high heat till golden brown on both side. Take the chicken out and add the curry leaves in the oil. Saute for 15 seconds and add the onions. Saute for 3-4 minutes on medium high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for another 3-4 minutes. Add the cardamom, cinnamon and clove powder. Mix well and add the tamarind concentrate. Add the chicken broth and chicken pieces. Mix well and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer the chicken covered for 10 minutes. Take the lid off and let the chicken cook till the pieces are tender and juicy. Add the salt and check for seasonings. Garnish with cilantro.
